Safety binding with swivel jaw



Oct. 1, 1963 A. REHACEK 3,105,696

SAFETY BINDING WITH SWIVEL JAW Filed Dec. 19, 1960 United States Patent 3,105,696 SAFETY BWDENG WITH SWIVEL SAW Alois Rehaeek, Schweehat, Austria, assignor to Wiener Metallwarenand Schnallenfabrilr Sehar-Smoika,

Schweehat, Austria Filed Dec. 19, 19st Ser. No. 76,558 Claims priority, application Austria Jan. i6, E50 2 Claims. (Cl. 28 l-ll.35)

The invention refers to a safety binding with a swivel jaw or plate, where on the swivel jaw or plate sole hold down plate means are provided in movable position. According to a further feature of the invention the sole hold down means are arranged on the swivel jaw tiltable about a pin, and are spring loaded.

In the drawing one embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example.

FIG. 1 shows the safety binding according to the present invention in elevation; FIG. 2 is its partially cut plan view In FIG. 3 a turned position of the swivel jaw is shown where the boot is swinging laterally.

It can be seen that on the swivel jaw 1 sole hold down means 2, are provided in movable positions. Under normal working conditions (see FIG. 2), the sole hold down means 2 are at a distance from the boot uppers 5. Therefore the sole hold down means press the sole 9 firmly towards the ski, but they do not influence in any way the lateral sliding and swinging movement of the ski boot. Laterally the boot is fixed only by prongs 10 or abutment means, and the sole 9 of the ski boot is pressed against these prongs by a cable binding or other means of well known construction, not shown in the drawing for providing a forward pressure against a heel member. When, for example by a sudden fall, the ski boot is considerably swung to the side, the swivel jaw may yield laterally (see FIG. 3). Also in this position the sole hold down means 2. (shown in the drawing, FIG. 3, on the top) will not hinder the swinging movement of the ski boot, because this sole hold down means, which is spring loaded by a spring 4, is able to give way. Therefore there is no further danger, that the boot, when swinging laterally, will be pressed by the sole hold down means in backward direction. The swivel jaw 1 in its normal position is yieldably locked by a ball coupling spring, or yieldable means as known per se, comprising a setting screw 6, a spring 7 and a ball 8. The sole hold down means 2 and with them the prongs 10 can be raised and lowered by turning the stud 11 threadingly engaging the member 12 which carries the hold down means 2, for the purpose of being able to adjust them to soles of different thickness. Pivotal movement of the hold down plate means 2 toward each other under the action of the spring means 4- is limited by engagement of side faces 13 of the hold down plate means 2 with corresponding side faces of a portion 12' of the member 12 projecting upwardly between the side faces 13.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown as an example. For the purpose of working together with the prongs 10 a mounting can be provided on the sole 9. The swivel jaw also can be yieldably locked in its normal position in other ways known per se. Innumerable constructions are known in the ski binding technique for such locking means. It is understood that the essential locking elements can possibly be placed in the swinging jaw itself, and can be supported by the 3,l5,% Patented 0st. 1, 1963 ice base plate or another fixed part. As an alternative only one single sole holder (for example in the centre) may be provided on the swivel jaw 1. But it is understood that more than two sole hold down means can be arranged on the swinging jaw. Again it is pointed out, that the swivel jaws do not hold in any way the ski boot and the boot upper in lateral position, and that as a matter of principle it is unimportant, whether in normal position the swivel jaws in effect are at a distance from the boot uppers, or slightly touch the boot uppers. This depends also on the shape of the boot upper and the structure of the boot respectively. The only purpose of the sole hold down means is to hold down the sole to the ski in perpendicular direction. All lateral forces are taken up by the prongs ll only.

I claim:

l. A safety ski binding comprising, in combination, support means adapted to be mounted on the top surface of a ski; a swivel plate mounted on said support means turnable about a turning axis substantially normal to the top surface of the ski, said swivel plate having a longitudinal axis extending in longitudinal direction of the ski; abutment means at one end of said swivel plate symmetrically arranged With respect to said longitudinal axis and adapted to abut against the edge surface of a front portion of a ski boot sole; yieldable means mounted on said support means and operatively engaging said swivel plate for holding the latter in a position in which said lon itudinal axis thereof extends in longitudinal direction of the ski while permitting tilting of said swivel plate about said turning axis when excessive lateral pressure is applied against the ski boot; and a pair of hold down plate means mounted on said one end of said swivel plate and respectively on opposite sides of said abutment means, each of said hold down plate means being tiltable about a pivot axis substantially parallel to and spaced from said turning axis, each of said hold down plate means having an abutment surface located in one plane substantially normal to said pivot axis thereof for engaging only the upper surface of the front portion of the ski boot sole to press the latter toward the upper ski surface while permitting free lateral movement of the ski boot relative to said hold down means.

2. A safety ski binding comprising, in combination, support means adapted to be mounted on the top surface of a ski; a swivel plate mounted on said support means turnable about a turning axis substantially normal to the top surface of the ski, said swivel plate having a longitudinal axis extending in longitudinal direction of the ski; abutment means at one end of said swivel plate symmetrically arranged with respect to said longitudinal axis and adapted to abut against the edge surface of a front portion of a ski boot sole; yieldable means mounted on said support means and operatively engaging said swivel plate for holding the latter in a position in which said longitudinal axis thereof extends in longitudinal direction of the ski while permitting tilting 'of said swivel plate about said turning axis when excessive lateral pressure is applied against the ski boot; a pair of hold down plate means mounted on said one end of said swivel plate and respectively on opposite sides of said abutment means, each of said hold down plate means being tiltable about a pivot axis substantially parallel to and spaced from said turning axis, each of said hold down plate means having an abutment surface located in one plane substantially normal to said pivot axis thereof for engaging only the upper surface of the front portion of the ski boot sole to press the latter toward the upper ski surface while permitting free lateral movement of the ski boot relative to said hold down means; means cooperating with said hold down piate means to limit pivotal movement thereof toward each other; and spring means operatively connected to said hold down plate means and yieldably resisting pivotal movement of said hold downplate means away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rehacek Ian. 6, 1959 Marker Aug. 11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS France Apr. 20, 1959 France June 8, 1959 France Feb. 15, 1960 (Corresponding US. 3,009,710, Nov. 21, 1961) 

1. A SAFETY SKI BINDING COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE TOP SURFACE OF A SKI; A SWIVEL PLATE MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS TURNABLE ABOUT A TURNING AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE TOP SURFACE OF THE SKI, AND SWIVEL PLATE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS EXTENDING IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE SKI; ABUTMENT MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID SWIVEL PLATE SYMMETRICALLY ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST THE EDGE SURFACE OF A FRONT PORTION OF A SKI BOOT SOLE; YIELDABLE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAID SWIVEL PLATE FOR HOLDING THE LATTER IN A POSITION IN WHICH SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF EXTENDS IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE SKI WHILE PERMITTING TILTING OF SAID SWIVEL PLATE ABOUT SAID TURNING AXIS WHEN EXCESSIVE LATERAL PRESSURE IS APPLIED AGIANST THE SKI BOOT; AND A PAIR OF HOLD DOWN PLATE MEAS MOUNTED ON SAID ONE END OF SAID SWIVEL PLATE AND RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID 